theirminds for a critical election battle to unseat a President in 2012. Since 1999, what is described as aniron-fisted dictatorial regime; President Hugo Chavez has spewed malicious and venomous hatred of those that embrace freedoms, democracy, and a will to live in a main-stream environment thatguarantees those rights.The psychotic-like rantings of a professed leader of the Bolivarian Revolution has deceived a nation byincredible lies, accusations of

“

invaders

”

coming to Venezuela, and so many related untruth

’

s, that onlythe world media explosion of the Internet has been their only ticket for the freedom train of thought andvehicle of fact from fiction.Chavez

’

s reputation for deceit and penchant for outright fraudulence by words and acts have truly beenthe hallmark of Venezuela

’

s near ruin. However, a proud Venezuelan populace who has previouslyexperienced and enjoyed a quality of life void of fear, intimidation, repression, and expected truth fromelected leadership- looks to

“

force change.

”

The Chavez regime consistently refuses to explain how such an oil-rich country has fallen financiallyand failed the people, thus leaving the Venezuelan nation with a quality of life of a

“

stereo-typical thirdworld nation.

”

Did Cuba

’

s decades of Communist revolution and reliance on leftist world dictators forsupport not clearly demonstrate rationality on turning away from such deceptive evil?

E D I T O R I A L and O P I N I O N

10/26/20112

Chavez overwhelmingly demonstrated his propensity to emulate his mentor and father of lies (FidelCastro) in 1982 when hefounded a secretive organization known as the Revolutionary BolivarianMovement-200 (Movimiento Bolivariano Revolucionario 200 or MBR-200).

Chavez’

s stated purpose

for this organization was to overthrow Venezuela’s Punto Fijo system, which Chavez

considered

“undemocratic and corrupt

.

”

Chavez’s

eventual

election as Venezuela’s President became an

early disintegrative attack on democracyas he

brought on his own political ideology of Bolivarianism, and touted “Socialism for the 21

st

Century.” Introducing socialist

reforms to Venezuela has been his dogmatic mandate whether anyonewanted it or not.

Chavez has probably inflicted more “lasting structural damage on Venezuela’s political institutions, economy, and people” than any other President in Venezuela’s history.

Without a modicum of diplomacy within his veins and a ravenous hunger for power and control,deceiving those that originally paid attention and did not question his leadership were seriously misled.As a previously wealthy nation that held its head high, it has now been forced to kneel before a regimethat has stolen their dreams and raped their homeland

’

s resources.

The late

Muammar Gaddafi and Hugo Chavez

The valiant

“

soldier

’

s of democracy,

”

the title so many Venezuelans have labeled themselves with, havevaliantly stood up to be seen and heard- at much peril to their safety and welfare.Case in point was the previous election for the National Assembly that graphically demonstrated aVenezuelan electorate that sent a defiant message to Hugo Chávez by voting for opposition candidatesrather than for the ruling party and its allies. Many Venezuelans believe Chavez

’

s previous government'smanipulation of the electoral rules and opposition's votes resulted in only 67 seats acquired. Venezuela'shigh voter turnout in the parliamentary elections of some 66% was indeed impressive.In true dictatorial fashion, Chavez used the final three months of the outgoing assembly where he had anoverwhelming majority, to render irrelevant the incoming legislatureOpponents indicate years

of frustration in understanding and getting the facts on the flow of Venezuela’soil wealth. Many believe that Venezuela’s number eight standing in oil

-producing in the world should

10/26/20113

be “benefiting (Venezuela) handsomely from high oil prices.” Too, a major concern has been Chavez’s

continued efforts in nationalizing firms in such industries as cement, steel, agribusiness, banking,tourism, oil, communications, and electricity. The opposition clearly cites serious lack of priorities,graft, and fiscal mismanagement as the culprits.

Venezuela’s massive

and continuing military expansion, with purchases of armaments including aircraft,tanks and an AK-

47 arms factory, are examples of the opposition’s rationale.

Chavez consistentlytouting

“

invasion

”

and trying to warn a much more politically savvy Venezuelan people that he givesthem credit for, has been his way of re-distributing the nation

’

s wealth to other leftist regimes.His incompetent demeanor in destroying the domestic economy, as well as the inability to address lootedand squandered massive oil revenue, forces Venezuelans to look to another presidential election toprevent more misery and destruction for the Venezuelan homeland. A proud and freedom loving peopleof Venezuela deserve no less than fair elections and a true accounting of the Venezuelan government.Fidel Castro and Gaddafi 1977It is also time for Venezuelans to call Chavez on the carpet to address the issues and evidence of thisregime as an abettor of drug trafficking and supporting revolutionary terrorism. This type of acuteinvestigation and focus could lend transparency of the facts of whether or not the Chavez regime is acorrupt power base and criminal enterprise in the hemisphere. What does he fear from

“

fact finding?

”

As previous

“

iron-fisted dictatorial

”

regimes and terror leaders have recently fallen violently by worldoutcry, Venezuelans must also question the Chavez mentality of idolizing and worshiping the likes of aSaddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, andMuammar Gaddafi. Too, as he professes idolatry for the likesof Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinegad of Iran; amongst others; does he honestly think HE speaks forVenezuela?